Is one former teacher, Jenna Leahey culpable after exchanging sexually charged texts with a 16 year old student?

Jenna Leahey, 33, a former NJ English teacher and hockey coach at Parsippany High School faces charges of sexual assault, official misconduct after maintaining inappropriate relations with a 16 year old student. The inappropriate relations would occur heard a Morris County, NJ courtroom after the teacher counseled the youth following his aunt’s death from cancer.

Whilst admitting that she did exchange texts with the student, the teacher denies charges that she had a physical relationship with the boy and has sought to have the case quashed before it goes to trial.

In deciding what evidence to bring forward to trial, the alleged victim’s friend told how the victim had described to him how Jenna Leahey had touched the boy’s genitals along with encouraging him to do likewise in class.

The witness would also tell that the following: ‘He also told me she took him home with her after a volleyball game.’

In describing how the witness came to learn of the nature of the purported illicit affair the witness told how his friend told them of the the alleged relationship while playing video games. The victim told the witness would also then go quiet when he asked if he was dating the teacher.

The witness would further tell how the victim showed him ‘sort of nude’ pictures that Leahey had sent via text.

The inapproprate liaisons are said to have taken place between January and June 13, 2013.

Also testifying was Parsippany Hills High football coach Dave Albano who told how the alleged victim and his friend came and told him about Leahey in June last year after rumors started circulating the school.

The alleged victim told Albano he and Leahey had ‘kissed’, ‘made out’ and ‘were fooling around in the car’ after a volleyball game when Leahey drove the boy home.

The boy would tell the coach that he hadn’t had intercourse with Leahey, but would admit to exchanging ‘dirty’ text messages with the teacher.

‘He was scared and nervous,’ Albano said of the boy.

A second friend of the alleged victim told the court Tuesday that he didn’t believe the teen when he said he was having a relationship with Leahey.

However after teasing the boy, he gave in and showed the text messages.

‘Ms. Leahey was one of the good-looking teachers in school,’ the second friend said, according to The Daily Record.

‘I’d say ”Oh, I saw you trying to flirt with Ms. Leahey”.

‘He denied it at first and then got fed up with me teasing him about it.’

The prosecution would also share a taped interview with police at the time of her arrest last year in which Leahey admitted to sending texts to the boy but denied anything else happened.

Although admitting she sent explicit texts and how stupid it was in retrospect, Jenna Leahey would insist that nothing would ever happen when she was with the boy.

In fact the teacher would tell that the teen was abusive with her and would touch her breasts and buttocks and put his hand down her pants.

Leahey told authorities he also tried to kiss her several times.

‘I never physically touched the kid ever. He is just a kid,’ she said in her 2013 interview.

‘I do feel responsible I didn’t draw that line (with the texts) immediately.’

Leahey would tell she would often push the student away and insisted she repeatedly tried to end the sexual contact between the two but felt trapped because she had sent him the pictures and text messages.

“Once that happened, there’s no way I can fix that,” Leahey said to Morris County detectives Edward Mitreuter and Kevin Duffy on the video.

‘It (sending the pictures and text messages) was a fatal mistake. … I feel it’s my fault. I’m the adult. I feel guilty and responsible. ‘

Leahey’s attorney have since sought to subpoena what authorities allege are explicit text messages she exchanged with the student.

About

I think the idea to start “Scallywag and Vagabond.” (SCV) originates from my myriad background and the many years I have spent in preferred cafes and brasseries extolling the virtues and subtle intricacies of ‘being’ as the Beaujolais ran, the cigarette wafted and the gentleman to my side pontificated while spraying himself with a deftly tied cravat and sun crested idolatry.’

I grew up in Australia where as a young man one was obliged to become a hero of sorts. A master swimmer, fighter of causes, ideals and disheveled denizen of aesthetics, and more often a carefree ‘larrikin’ who would occasionally poke his sun bronzed nose at authority and convention Read More